Dr. Karin Silbernagel is the director of the Center for Human Research Coordination/CHRC. Her team includes an Assistant Director, that handles the day-to-day operation of the Center, Research Manager, Research Coordinators and Data System Analysts. This team is part of UD’s Core Facilities, reporting to the Vice President of Research and Innovation in the Research Office.
Karin Silbernagel, PT, ATC, PhD
Director, Center for Human Research Coordination
Karin is a professor and associate chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Delaware and founding director of the Center for Human Research Coordination. As CHRC’s director, she is responsible for all aspects of its operation. Professor Silbernagel received her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy (1990) from Boston University, advanced M.Sc. in physical therapy (2001) and Ph.D. in orthopaedics (2006) from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She has been a physical therapist for 30+ years and has ongoing funded research in orthopaedics and musculoskeletal injury with a focus on the lower extremity.
Marlo Goss
Assistant Director
Marlo is responsible for CHCR’s financial monitoring and management, human resources, overseeing all administrative functions. Marlo also supports recruitment and registry development and is the point of contact for the center, managing daily operations. Marlo has been with UD since 2009. She previously worked in corporate administration as well as in various small businesses. She is also CITI certified for both Good Clinical Practice and Human Subjects Protections — the certificates are available upon request.
Martha Callahan
Research Manager
Martha is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and workflow for the research studies that CHRC supports. She assists researchers with budgeting for study coordination in their grant proposals. Martha also develops and maintains individual research studies and registry databases, policies and procedures strictly following human subject guidelines. Martha is the point of contact for researchers at UD, helping them navigate human subject coordination and compliance. Martha has worked at UD for over 20 years with many years of experience with human subjects. She is also CITI certified for both Good Clinical Practice and Human Subjects Protections — the certificates are available upon request.
CHRC staff actively work within the community to help recruit willing participants into active studies at the University. The core is staffed with a team of research coordinators that recruit within the community weekly at senior centers, community centers as well as fitness clubs and community events. The core recently launched their Community Participant Registry to facilitate further engagement within the community. This registry will be used by all researcher in need of willing participants 18 years and up from diverse backgrounds.
The Center has also partnered with ResearchMatch.org, an online nation-wide registry that recruits volunteers from all populations within the United States. Faculty and their researcher teams will be able to recruit from over 167,000 active participants. The Center also partners with the University’s Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) providing weekly advertisement for the Center’s website were the community and researchers can find links to these tools. The center also manages the monitors and research flyer wall at STAR that advertise active studies in need of participants.
Jennifer Marmon
Research Coordinator
Jennifer plays a crucial role in the research coordination team, overseeing various logistics for research subjects. This includes screening, scheduling, transportation, monitoring, and managing payments for participants involved in multiple studies and registries. The team aids in registry recruitment and ensures the retention of research subjects for various studies. They support researchers in compiling data for progress reports on human subject data. Jennifer manages individual studies and engages in community outreach to recruit participants for research studies representing UD Research. She also supports researchers by coordinating recruitment activities at the STAR Campus by managing monitors and promotional materials for ongoing studies. Jennifer has been a valued team member since 2013 and holds certifications in Good Clinical Practice and Human Subjects Protections from CITI. Certificates can be provided upon request.
Jane Diehl
Research Coordinator
Jane has been an integral part of the research coordination team since 2016. This team plays a crucial role in managing various aspects of research subjects’ logistics, encompassing screening, scheduling, transportation, monitoring, and participant compensation across multiple studies and registries. Furthermore, the team contributes to registry recruitment efforts and ensures the retention of research subjects for individual studies and registries. Jane actively engages in coordinating individual studies, including a significant clinical trial. Moreover, Jane serves as a dedicated recruiter, engaging with the community on behalf of UD Research to attract participants for research studies. She also fulfills the role of a liaison for Research Match, aiding researchers in enrolling in this nationwide registry. With a background in diverse patient care positions, Jane holds CITI certifications in Good Clinical Practice and Human Subjects Protections, these certificates are available upon request.
Alicia Adkins
Research Coordinator
Alicia holds a pivotal role within the research coordination team, overseeing various logistical aspects concerning research subjects. These responsibilities encompass screening, scheduling, transportation monitoring, and managing payments for participants engaged in diverse studies and registries. Moreover, the team contributes to registry recruitment efforts and ensures the retention of research subjects across different studies and registries. Additionally, they support researchers in compiling data for progress reports related to human subject information. Noteworthy is Alicia’s role in overseeing the CHRC website. Alicia joined the team in 2016, her contribution includes serving as the primary coordinator for a multi-site clinical trial. With previous experience at a prominent physician practice, Alicia brings valuable expertise in facilitating medical clearances for researchers. Furthermore, her certifications in Good Clinical Practice and Human Subjects Protections from CITI underscore her commitment to upholding ethical standards in research endeavors, the certificates are available upon request.
CHRC is the REDCap administrators for UD’s REDCap instance. CHRC provides the university community with data management education, database set-up, repository, maintenance, hardening and security. CHRC supports REDCap across UD and assists researchers in building and maintaining patient registries and individual study databases. Two Data Systems Analysts (DSA) manage all aspects of the data management services including technical oversight of all REDCap projects, as well as maintenance of the secured servers hosting the data and managing the intake and storage of data. They also manage any necessary data migration, support the use of REDCap, and assist with compliance of relevant data storage and retention regulations. Once data collection is completed, the DSA will guide and assist the researchers to the proper repository solution.
Kia Huffman
Data Systems Analyst
Kia oversees the administration of servers and databases hosting the University of Delaware’s REDCap instance. As the REDCap administrator for UD, Kia creates REDCap projects for research teams and oversees the maintenance of UD’s REDCap system. Kia is a Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), her expertise is a valued asset to the CHRC Team and UD. Prior to joining the University of Delaware in 2022, Kia worked as a cyberinfrastructure architect at Brown University. Kia is passionate about collaborating with researchers to create customized data management tools and workflows. Additionally, Kia holds CITI certifications in Good Clinical Practice and Human Subjects Protections, with certificates available upon request.
Tom MacKenzie
Data Systems Analyst
Tom oversees the administration of servers and databases hosting the University of Delaware’s REDCap instance. He serves as a REDCap administrator for UD, constructing projects for research teams and overseeing the maintenance of the university’s REDCap environment. Before joining UD, Tom’s professional background encompassed roles in the banking sector as an Enterprise Technologist and IT Business Analyst. Additionally, he served as a technology consultant, offering IT solutions to individual clients. He is also CITI certified for both Good Clinical Practice and Human Subjects Protections — the certificates are available upon request.
